World of Warcraft®

Fizzle scowled, "Lucky for us? Why would you not just come to us in the first place? We could've taken these people into custody and brought this whole matter out! Instead, you skulked about and "assassinated" these people creating so much work for us! You've stretched our people thin, the people of the city are scared. You didn't save us, you completely screwed us! Now then..if you don't want to talk just yet, I'll see to it that you do. A lot of people have learned to not underestimate us Gnomes, I guess you'll just have to see."

Fizzle turned, "Cooper, why don't you go on outside. I can handle it from here." The man stared at the Gnome for a moment, a confused expression painted over his visage. "Are you sure? He's restrained but..I'd imagine he's still pretty dangerous, sir."

The Gnome waved him away with a single hand, reaching down towards the small bag at his feet with the other. "I hope you don't think..that I'm here just to examine dead bodies and evidence at the scenes. My knowledge of..anatomy is quite useful in other respects. While Malakai would frown upon this..I think it is imperative that I found out what this Dwarf knows..and fast."

Heavy footfalls sounded from the front office, loud shouts of confusion and panic. Fizzle sighed, dropping the bag and peeking out the cell to see what was going on. "What's going on out there?!"

"Sir, we've got numerous reports of an event occurring in the Mage District..some kind of chemical agent, I don't really know! People are pouring in to report it, what do we do?!"

A chemical attack? Was this what the Dwarf was talking about? Fizzle shot him a glance before signaling for Cooper to elave with him. "Go to the storage, get the biohazard gear, the masks, the gloves, everything. I want this entire house outfitted immediately. We're going to end this mess..now!" He hoped Malakai would be about to help..

---

While Rhian was in the shower, Malakai took the liberty to "make himself at home" as she had said. He ventured over towards the bookshelf, glancing at the three journals there with curiosity. Curiously he flipped through them, briefly skimming over tidbits of the hardships and excitement of her travels.

A devious thought struck his mind as he turned towards the bathroom door. The scent of apples was filling the air, a pleasant enough smell. Still, she would likely be done soon, he would have to act fast. With a small grin, he waltzed towards her bed, scooping up the clean clothing she had set aside. "Hmm," he thought as he glanced about, looking for the perfect place to stash them.

The jingle of the door handle alerted him that she was just about to come out and he quickly raced for the chair at the desk, tucking the clothes behind him. Malakai folded his hands over his chest as he gazed at the picture of beauty walking towards him. "Wow...I, hm..think I should spill something on your clothes more often."

He chuckled softly at her comments, "Handsome and dashing? I didn't know I was any of that." He smiled at the kiss, reaching out to grab her and pull her down on his lap. "It's not everyday that I have such a beautiful young woman to save either.."

"So, your clothes are around somewhere, if you persuade me..I might tell you..eventually." His grin spread as he stared into her blue eyes, winking teasingly.

Minutes later, the ringing of bells would sound. The call to all Watch members that something was amiss. Malakai's head jerked up, his demeanor turning serious. "Something is wrong..that's a code black." He listened for a moment longer, before he rose up, lifting her with him. "Your clothes are there, we need to go, now..The rendezvous point is set for the canals outside the Trade district. We'll find out what's going on and move from there."

He looked at her, his expression filled with worry. It was close enough once, he wanted her to stay..but he didn't want her alone here either.

The evening was just settling down into the regular quiet time when Amarlei woke from her nap. She noticed that there did not seem to be a lot of activity below in the tavern. Finally curiousity got the better of her and she slipped out of the hatch to the roof. The shadows up here were dark enough for her to hide without using her stealth abilities.

Looking down into the pathways below she stifled a gasp. She counted four bodies along the path and another person just collapsed trying to hurry away. It was then she noticed the huddled form of the man she knew only as Gerry. She had known he would be here, Barl had mentioned he was going to send her some back up. But the figure below her was moving strangely. A jerky shuffling stumble as he moved around in circles as if he was lost.

"Oh no...we are too late...where is Barl?" she whispered to herself. If it was a creeping plague it was staying low to the ground. She was lucky the wind was not blowing and kicking it up towards her. She took out her silent whistle only heard by animals alert to high pitched sounds. The wyvern landed on the roof and growled his warning, he could sense the wrongness of the plague below them. Climbing on the saddle she took off into the sky wanting to get away as high as she could. The patrols were not close enough to spot her and she circled over the mage District.

Heading over towards the SI:7 headquarters she flew in lazy circles around the tower there, hoping to spot a potential contact. She noticed a party of six running towards the gates, it looked like they were prepared for a gas attack. The only thing she could do was fly towards the edge of the Front Gates near the Mage District and watch. She did not dare show herself. There were guards moving now and heading towards the Mage District.

If they were fast they could neutralize the cauldron, if they could get past the warlock and his now milling zombies crawling all over the Mage District. She saw people heading towards the gate being pushed back. They might be trying to quarantine them. Amarlei felt a pang of pity. These were civilians and not military...it was like a nightmare remembered from her days of the Scourge attack.

Climbing off the wyvern she pulled out a gas mask and a military coat and tabard she had requisitioned from her earlier time scouting for the Horde. They might be too busy trying to control a mob of zombies to recognise her as a blood elf. She drew on a loose hood and pulled it over her ears, squashing them inside. The gas mask over it made her look very much like a thin human. "It will have to do..." she muttered.

Her last step was a pack of flash grenades and a large flask of neutralizer. She had friends in the Undercity and they were not aware she helped out the Alliance. But they had given her the neutralizer in payment of a task she had performed for them. No one would miss one overly cruel and zealous orcish taskmaster.

She moved down into the alleyways of the Mage District and stealthed her way to the Slaughtered Lamb. The gas mask helped, but she could not find anyway to get past the five zombies shuffling around the doorway. She melted into the Shadows to wait. If she got a break she would head into the basement and neutralize the caldron...or the warlock...or both. She preferred to wait and see if anyone else was smart enough to move in and take out the zombies first.

Rhian gave a small laugh when he pulled her into his lap. “You hid my clothes?” she said in mock admonishment. “I think we need to add devious to the list of adjectives that describe you.” She wound her arms around his neck, “but then I knew there was more to you than just the job and the scowl you use to put people off. Now to convince you to hand over my clothes… I have a few ideas; I’ll just have to work through the list and see what convinces you.”

The warning bell startled her. She looked at Malakai with some concern as he explained what it was even as he rose from the chair and gently deposited her on her feet.

“Not good…” she murmured, pulling the clothing from its hiding spot. “Just give me three minutes and I will be ready to go.” She dashed back to the bathroom and shrugged on her clothing and boots. She was out in two minutes, her hands working to pin the badge on before reaching for the rifle.

Longshore was sitting by the door when they arrived in the front room. Trained in Redridge, he knew that warning bells meant he had to go out.

“Rhian, is everything alright?” A young woman who worked as a bar maid at a tavern a block away gave Malakai a speculative look.

“Its fine, Betina,” Rhian gave her a smile even as the door was opening. “Just make certain that everyone stays in for right now, alright?” The door closed even before Betina could answer.

The trip to the rendezvous point was troubling, as there were many people hanging out of their windows demanding to know what was going on. Worse yet, were the people who were coming out into the streets, stopping the guard and generally getting in the way. She could hear voices in the distance, calling out for people to get back into the homes. It didn’t seem to be working.

Reaching the appointed location, Rhian was taken aback by just how grim everyone looked. She turned her attention to a tall guard who had a bag and was handing something out to everyone. He reached her and pressed a leathery item into her hand before moving on. Looking down at it, she gasped when she realized that it was a gas mask.

“There has been a chemical attack in the Mage Quarter coming out of the Slaughtered Lamb,” someone explained. “We’ve got to go in and neutralize the threat. Hopefully the gnomes will have an idea of what to do about the gas. We’ve got… something… walking around there, too. This looks like the Horde’s doing.”

“Gas?” Rhian echoed. She looked down at Longshore, who still managed to look bored in all the commotion. “I don’t think you need to be a part of this, bug guy,” she said, reaching down to pat the wolf’s neck. “You can’t wear a gas mask and I don’t want to risk killing you.”

She turned to Malakai, “I want to take Longshore to stay with some hunter friends… if the gas is bad enough that we need masks, it is bad enough to kill him. I know you said “never again” but you can trust me to get back here in one piece and you are needed here. I’ll get a good vantage point on the roofs when I come back and provide your men cover from whatever is in there.”

"Commander!" Fizzle shouted over all the excitement, waving his arms frantically to attract Malakai's attention. The Gnome rushed forward to meet him and Rhian, a smile of relief on his face. "Thank the Light. We started in on the Dwarf, forgive me sir..but he said that he was trying to "save" us from this. The two families were aligned with the cult, but there's something more sinister at play that he hinted at. I think..this is what he meant."

He gestured over his shoulder towards the Mage District, "We don't know the extent of the attack..or how many people are affected, the line has already been formed. We've blocked off both exits from the ruins of the Park to the Trade District. The lines are strong..but the men are confused, we don't know if..we should let people out or not..sir"

"A moment, Fizzle." Malakai nodded down at his second-in-command before turning his attention to Rhian. His arms swept around her, pulling her close to him so he could lose himself in her beautiful blue eyes. "You came to me..in a very difficult time, young lady..I wish this would all just go away.."

He contemplated asking her to just stay away but doubted that was an order she would comply with. If it was the other way around, he would've made that same choice. "Alright then, go and take care of Longshore, when you get back, stay as far away as possible. Use the rooftops across the canals to try and provide cover..but do not come across. I don't want you getting hurt, not again."

Malakai leaned in to give her one last kiss and a hug before he pulled away, reaching for the gas mask Fizzle had extended to him. He nodded, "Let's get this sorted out. I need this stuff analyzed immediately, Fizzle. If you can find some sort of counter agent..get it made asap."

The Watch Commander turned, glancing once more at Rhian before he led his gathered group of men off. Their shields were raised high, sword arms steady as they marched in a single line across the canal and into the mage district..

Fizzle stood and watched, glancing towards Rhian, "He'll be alright, that's the toughest man I know..and I think he has a reason to want to survive." He offered the girl a smile before he scurried off to collect samples from anything he could find.

"You came to me..in a very difficult time, young lady..I wish this would all just go away.."

Rhian looked up at him, the sides of her mouth curved into a small smile. “I just brought with me all kinds of trouble, didn’t I? You and your men are on the case now so I think that it will be wrapped up with efficiency.”

She stood a moment longer and watched him leave before giving Fizzle a grateful smile. Inside, she wasn’t so certain. It seemed that her budding romances never ended well. But, she was in Stormwind now, not Redridge, with better resources, more men, more training, more… everything.

She turned and gave a short command to Longshore and the two ran through the streets towards the Dwarven District. Arriving at the Hart and Stout, she was greeted by several concerned friends.

“I don’t have all the details, but I have to head back out,” she told them. “Can you keep Longshore… this isn’t something that he will do any good in.”

“Ye need some more guns, lass?” Stoutmantle reached under the bar.

“No, stay here. The Watch has this under control,” she knew that there didn’t need to be any more people out on the streets. “Can I borrow your Webbing 1K Raptor Killer?”

Stoutmantle looked concerned, but pulled the long rifle off the wall and handed it to her along with a bag of bullets. “Jus’ brace yerself against something, lass, or else you’ll get a nasty kickback.”

“I’ll be careful with it. Be back in a short while. Thank you!”

With that, she ducked back out of the tavern, shutting the door firmly behind her. She raced back through the streets and found a vantage point up on a building. Settling herself in against a chimney, she braced the rifle and looked through the scope at the chaos below.

Back at the Hart and Stout, Longshore had proceeded to collapse into a pile of fur and legs in front of the fire. He let out a huff and a small whine. He knew that there was something wrong outside and he knew that Rhian had left him behind. He didn’t like not being with her, but at least he could protect the dwarves that fed him tasty scraps.

Oan sat at the bar and looked at the wolf who just seemed to fall to the floor under his own weight. “I’ll be,” the dwarf muttered, setting his mug down. After ten minutes, he reached into his pocket and slid five gold across the table.

Back on the rooftops, Rhian watched the various people milling about in the Mage District. There was something wrong with the picture and she was trying to figure out what. They were pale… grayish… jerky in their movements… like the troll zombies in Stranglethorn.

“Oh no…” Rhian lowered her rifle. She didn’t want to have to shoot the transformed citizens of Stormwind, but then, she knew that if these were anything like the Stranglethorn creations, they would range out and attack anyone in sight.

She looked back through the scope and sure enough, one was moving towards a fleeing man. By the time she secured her aim, it had caught up with man and was trying to bite him. She slowly squeezed the trigger and the rifle roared, the shot ripping into the zombie and it fell to the ground.

“Run, you fool, run!” Rhian muttered as the man stood there terrified. After a long moment, he seemed to regain his wits and took off running. She followed his movements with the rifle until she was obscured by a building.

Returning to the scene, she realized that she had a shot into a doorway. Adjusting her position to lay flat on the floor, she could just see a few shapes moving inside. She wasn’t certain what the building was or if anyone was trapped inside or if those were zombies milling around or people too scared to leave. After several long minutes, one came into view.

“Zombie,” she took aim and fired, dropping it. She moved the rifle around, trying to get resolution on any of the others, but they were too far in the building. She’d just have to wait to see if another one wandered near the door.

***
Four men dressed in dark clothing moved through the streets quickly and quietly. They had already robbed two taverns while the warning bells were tolling and were on their way to the third.

“See?” one muttered to the other, “Easy. Watch is tied up and we are free to pick ‘em clean. We’ll be gone before they can do anything about it.”

“There, that one,” another man point to a tavern whose sign was painted with a bust of an antlered stag and a mug of ale.

Fizzle watched Rhian leave before turning and racing off towards the Mage District in Malakai's wake. He knew that the commander did not want him to follow them in. No, his task was the 'easier" but "hardest" one. Find a way to stop this. Easier said than done! "Cooper, Braggart, with me! Keep these things away from me while I collect samples! I need to analyze this stuff to find out the composition before I can successfully create an antidote to combat this!"

The two men looked at the Gnome and shrugged but followed after him anyway. They advanced towards the entrance of the district, scanning the area for any signs of life..or unlife.

"It's clear, move up, we'll cover you."

The Gnome rushed forward, kneeling down next to a zombie that fortunately was put down before it could escape the barrier. He studied the creature, leaning over it, examining the skin, taking a sample of hair, blood, and skin cells. These he stuffed in a small pouch at his side before he moved on, searching for another. If the effects were consistent with all the zombies, it would be easier to solve. He hadn't taken but a few steps when a scream rang out in front of them.

A woman came bursting through the door of a nearby shop, stumbling as she tried to run from a creature behind her. Braggart rushed forward to assist her, his sword plunging through the creatures neck and sweeping it's head clean off it's shoulders. He then turned to the woman, "You're alright now, ma'am. We'll get you out of he--"

His sentence didn't finish. The woman suddenly lashed out at him, tearing into him with her teeth and hands. So caught off guard, Braggart stumbled backwards with her atop him, crying out in surprise. "Get off me! Get off me!" Summoning strength from the adrenaline coursing through him, he managed to toss the woman off, rolling to evade her further attacks.

Cooper rushed up and ran her through with his sword, the point burying into the ground beneath her, effectively restraining her from moving. "Braggart, you alright?" He called out, turning to find his comrade.

"Yeah, I'm fine.." The man stood, brushing a hand over his shoulder where there were teeth marks. "Armor held up, she didn't get me." He flashed a grin and a thumbs up. "What?" The two were standing, looking at him with horror. "What?!" He was panicking, looking down to see if there was a wound on him or not. It was then that he noticed his mask laying on the ground, it had come off in the scuffle. "No, no, no! This can't be happening! Fizzle help me!"

Fizzle signaled for Cooper to restrain him, "Let's get him back, I've got enough samples..and now I can see just how this plague works on a live..person." He shook his head, "I'll do my best Braggart, I swear it."

----

"Stay in your homes! Board the windows, board the doors! Go upstairs, get to higher ground and stay there!"

Malakai and his team moved slowly through the district, calling out to anyone in the shops and homes. It was too risky to try and move them from their houses, they didn't have enough masks for all these people. Their best bet was to get high up and..pray.

Those that did try to run didn't make it too far, succumbing to the plague before they took more than a few steps. They were quickly cut down before more of the infection could spread.

"Alright, we'll split up here. Head that way towards the Blue Recluse, warn everyone. Then sweep the rest of the area, kill all of these things! Not a single one must get out. I know these used to be friends, maybe even family..but they aren't that anymore. "

Over the screams the sound of a rifle firing reached his ears, it sounded familiar, though that was probably just his senses playing tricks on him. Malakai gazed back over his shoulder for a moment before waving his men on. He took a small handful of men and headed straight for the Slaughtered Lamb.

There were five zombies standing about the doorway, different from the others. They appeared to be guarding something..or someone. Malakai and his men quickly dispatched the creatures, gaining entry to the Lamb and heading down the stairs to meet whatever lay in the belly of the beast.

The small squad of agents were decked out in protective clothing and gas masks. Barl led them through the city at a brisk pace, watching as the few guards issued warnings for people to stay away from the Mage District. This was met with angry retorts and near riot conditions.

Flashing his ID at the guards blocking people from entering the district he led his team through the archway. The evidence of the volatile nature of the plague was beginning to be clear. There were bodies everywhere, some that appeared to be dead as they neared them. But some actually groaned and started to rise, shambling after the scouts as they went past.

Barl wasted no time with looking to see if he knew any of these people, he shot with his pistol and the men behind him moved to do the same. It was clear however the zombies were not responding in an ordinary way. "I fear we have to burn them...its the only way..Light take their souls..." his voice saddened. The five men behind him only nodded as they began applying oil to the corpses and setting them aflame. Soon the stench of burning flesh filled the air. Those who were moving seemed to not even register they were burning, simply shambling around until they collapsed in a pile of burning flesh.

High on the roof of the Mage Tower, Amarlei watched through her spyglass as the teams went in with gas masks on. She recognised the bulky short form of Barl and nodded in satisfaction as he moved to do the only sensible thing. Following behind him on the rooftops she used her rifle as a sniper and covered them from any high vantage point she could reach. She heard the bark of another rifle and turned to gaze at Rhian a moment. If her disguise held she might be able to help the marksman, but it was a risk to get close to her.

The cowl that covered her hair and ears was loose and bulky, the gas mask covered her face and effectively her emerald eyes. Thinking to only acknowledge the marksman and assure her that she was here to help, Amarlei moved closer, bounding over the rooftops and headed towards Rhian. One rooftop away she waved at the hunter and gave her a thumbs up sign, pausing to aim down at the sidewalk below and take out a zombie shuffling towards Barl and his men.

They were quick to look up and spot her. They had no clue who she was, but assumed it was aid of some kind. Amarlei waved at them and promptly took off back towards the Slaughtered Lamb. Barl smiled inside of his mask and cursed softly, "Dam ye Ama, tis a chance ye be takin'..." he then signaled to his men. "That be a friend...she be takin' a chance here...do not shoot her..." he gave his orders in a firm voice and they nodded as they moved to ignite the zombie that Ama had shot.

In the basement of the Slaughtered Lamb the mad cackling of the Forsaken could be heard as he stirred his massive cauldron. The room where he had appropriated the space for his experiments was locked. Many smaller holes were in the walls and the door was not totally down on the floor, the creeping gases from the cauldron seeped out of the corridor and meandered up the stairwell. The stench was a combination of rotting cabbage and flesh, it hung in the air and moved slowly. A single breath of the noxious fumes could knock a human or dwarf off his feet, subsequent breathing only further disrupting the bodily process until it reached a critical point. That was when the true ungodly nature of the plague appeared, as the creature it spawned became an unliving zombie.



In front of the door was a massive construct of many body parts. It was known by many as a flesh golem. He had four arms, each with a weapon imbedded in the flesh, an axe, two swords and a spiked mace. His head brushed the ceiling and his legs were massive stumps with rags wrapped around them. He gurgled and growled as the men approached. He was standing there until his Master ordered him to move. Not much for brains, he stared at them with bloodshot eyes that rolled in his head as if they had minds of their own.

Rhian did her best not to think of the watchmen who were moving about the streets of the Mage District in the face of all of this. Plague gas, zombies, frightened citizens who were turning before their eyes—whatever these men and women were being paid, it wasn’t enough. Malakai was down there as well, and she hoped that he came out in one piece—and not a zombie.

More zombies fell under the powerful gun and Rhian wondered if she could afford to have someone make one of these for her. She’d have to remember to ask Stoutmantle, but then, where would she use such a gun on a regular enough basis to merit the cost? She sighed, shot another zombie, and reluctantly let the idea go. If she needed the gun again, she would ask to borrow this one. She’d make certain that it was cleaned and in good repair when she returned it and send some gold for the ammo that she had used.

She saw another sniper on a nearby rooftop wave at her and she waved back. It was good to know that she wasn't alone up here. Hopefully there would be a few more snipers come out and she was starting to regret telling the two dwarven hunters to stay at the tavern. Hindsight was always twenty-twenty, wasn't it?

Her thoughts then turned to the gnome that had been appointed the task of riddling out how to stop the plague. “Hurry Fizzle,” she whispered even as she was looking for another target through her scope.

The stench of death was everywhere, but Amarlei could only get a faint whiff of it through the gas mask. She could see well enough and talk, her best bet howeveer would be to stay in the shadows and ghost after Malakae and his team. She would help if she could from a distance.

The bodies in the upper level were down...but she was afraid they would come back if not dealt with properly. She thought of dragging them outside and setting them on fire, but she did not have anything flammable...her eyes searched the bar...a bar...a smile flickered on her lips as she went behind the bar to find some flammable liquor.

A large case of high proof bourbon caought her eyes and she dragged it outside. The sturdy dwarf coming around the corner caught her before she could shift into shadows. "Lass!! What ye be doin' wit' dat?" he looked at her as if she had spouted two heads.

She pointed at the bodies and then to the torch on the side of the building. Her silence was necessary, if she said anything they would know she was a blood elf. Barl nodded and turned to his team. "Drag them bodies out here and set them alight..or they will be comin' back ta haunt us"

Two of the men immediately started dragging the bodies out of the tavern and away from the building. "What a shame to waste this good stuff..." one remarked.

Amarlei was already ghosting down the stairwell behind Malakae and his men. Silent and deadly she stayed behind and waited to see what he was going to do. Barl came up behind her and patted her lightly on the back and continued down to stand behind Malakae. "I reckon that what we need ta get to...is behind dat door...but somethin' that big guardin' it...looks like we need ta team up..." he motioned his men to one side of the room and they lined up with crossbows tipped with firebolts.

Another failure! Fizzle sighed in terrible mix of frustration and exhaustion, slapping away the vials in front of him. There had to be an antidote, there had to be a way to stop this! ALl these people were relying on him, everyone. He didn't know why people always confused genius with -genius-. It wasn't as if he was so smart that everything just popped into his mind on seeing it. Sure, he could tinker around a bit, solve complex equations, formulate algorithims for making everday machinery even more easy to amange. None of this meant he could solve a deadly plague on the fly in less than 24 hours!

"Take it easy, brother. Just concentrate! That's Mam always said, isn't it? She knew you was the smart one."

The Gnome glanced up, or rather, looked directly behind towards his brother, Bizzle. "It's about time you showed up! I thought you were back in Ironforge chasing off girls while we were in dire straits down here! Hand me that beaker over there, the purple one." He pointed towards a small purple beaker sitting on a table surrounded by vials of various hues.

"This one?" Bizzle questioned, picking up a blue one. Fizzle was already looking away and just nodded, gesturing for him to bring it over. Once his tiny digits closed around the vial, he quickly poured it on the sample of plagued flesh he had, waiting to see the result. A frown crossed his expression when he saw that the liquid was not purple..but blue!

"You idiot! Argh!" Fizzle screamed when he realized what he done. "That wasn't the right one!" His hand started to raise to slap the vial away when...a reaction occurred on the plague sample. It..started to clear up. "What?!" The Gnome brought out his magnifying glass, staring closer as the flesh was starting to turn back to normal. Could it be?

"Bizzle, you..idiotical..genius! Bring me Braggart, Cooper!

Cooper came rushing, or as close to rushing as he could carrying their fallen brother who had inhaled the plague. He was already starting to pale up, his eyes glazed and vacant. "Here, have him drink this." Fizzle handed the man the vial and watched it being poured down Braggarts throat.

Waiting, waiting, waiting..Perhaps he was wrong? The plagued sample had come in contact with many of his attempts, it might've been that somewhere hidden with the blue vial was the antidote..but with all the other samples mixed in, he would have to...formulate everything all over again! Fizzle sighed and started to turn away when a groan rose into the air. He turned back to look down at Braggart who was blinking slowly, looking up at all of them.

"Am I..dead?"

"No, you ain't dead you fool! Cooper, get this vial to every man in that district! I'll go and contact the gryphon tamers, we'll have them bring it down to the people stranded on the rooftops. Oh..and get this to Rhian, I'm sure she's killed many zombies and..I don't know if when they receive this, they'll turn back..but it's worth a shot."

The man nodded and watched as the two Gnomes took off running for the Trade District. He shrugged down at Braggart and then set to work.

A gryphon rider would descend down next to Rhian, carrying Fizzle and Bizzle, plus a very non-plussed looking man who didn't seem to want to be there. "Here you are, girl! This is the antidote to this nasty mess, coat your bullets with it. I'm not sure if it'll turn them back or not..but, well.." Fizzle sighed, "I tried..to save them, so..let's hope."

----

Malakai and his men swept into the basement, forming a line of defense before the abomination before them. He noted the appearance of people that he was not familiar with, most likely military or SI:7 agents sent to aid in the dispatching of the threat. Either way, help was always appreciated. The commander nodded in the Dwarf's direction before focusing his attention back on the creature.

He raised his pistols from his side, leveing them both at the abomination. "Those of you with fire, aim for the rags. Keep this creature ablaze, keep your distance, if one of those cleavers hit you.." He let the explanation trail off, the imagination could probably grasp on the outcome of such a blow.

"Let's end this and get that warlock!" He growled, his finger squeezing down on both the triggers in rapid succession. As his gun roared, the men around him charged, rushing forward to combat.

"TIME TO PLAY?!" The abomination roared as it moved into action, sweeping it's four arms ine very direction. Men were knocked aside like feathers, flying into chairs and walls.

Malakai continued to fire on the creature, his bullets sinking into the putrid flesh but having little effect other than attracting it's attention. It came roaring across directly towards him and he threw himself off to the side managing to narrowly avoid being smashed by the figure. One of it's arms lashed out, faster than he expected and smacked him across the head with the flat side of it's weapon.

The bullets did not seem to faze the flesh Golem, he was so big they seemed to sink into his body and do no more damage than a bee-sting. It did serve to irritate him a lot however as he swung his four arms around and knocked several of the agents around like they were insects.

Amarlei aimed carefully to hit him with her poisoned shuriken, seeking to slow him down. She was testing him to see if any of the poisons she had on her would do anything to him at all. The creature lumbered around the room, not needing to go far as the agents closed in on him trying to distract him. He never got far from the door, seeming to be afraid of what was behind it. Anyone who got close to it was instantly batted away. He roared and challenged all of them, "Time to PLAY!! come closer!! Me like to play!"

The sight of Malakae being hit made her a bit sick, that was a hard blow and he was lucky the axe was turned or he would have lost his head! He would have a nasty bruise when he woke up from that. One of his men tried to drag him out of the way, "Boss!! Are you all right?"

Barl ordered his men to fire and they did, several hitting the golem and lighting it on fire with the special arrows. The something incredible happened...the fumes from the cauldron started burning, not explosively, but with enough heat to make things very uncomfortable in the room. Along with the burning flesh golem it was soon very apparant that fire was the best way to slow down the gases leaking out of the room behind the door.

Amarlei slunk past the Golem as he beat at the men to one side of the door, squeezing past them she tried to pick the lock. The rattle of the lockpick got a definute response from within. A hollow voice came from inside the room. "No!! You will not stop the will of the Dark Lady!! Stormwind is DOOMED!!!" and a mad cackle followed.

She froze with fear, she knew that voice!! The Forsaken was an old enemy of the Taipan and she knew she had to get inside to kill him...it was her sworn duty and her target for some time was close to her grasp. Gritting her teeth she finally got the lock to slide and checked for traps. He was a fool who believed the Golem was enough of a deterrent to keep all out of the room.

The Golem was having fun smashing everyone who got near. He did hear the cackle of his Master, and turned to smash at whoever was at the door. His massive mace hit the door and it crashed inwards, splintering in every direction. Standing next to the gaseous cauldron the Forsaken screamed at him. "IMBECILE!!! Drive them back!! Or you will feed the fish in Undercity!!"

Amarlei was grinning as the Golem smashed the door, leaping inside she dove at the Forsaken. Her poisoned daggers flashed and drove into his wreck of a body, severing joints and sending him flailing into the cauldron. The bubbling of sick green goo increased as it attempted to dissolve the mass of bones and rags that comprised the undead.

Amarlei turned as Barl entered the room. "Get everyone out...I am going to set a flash bomb...it might destroy the tavern...and maybe a bit more...but it will purify the area...GO!" she turned and set to work with her explosives at the base of the cauldron.

Barl turned white as a sheet and raced back into the other room. "Bomb!!! Get out now!!! GOOO!!" he yelled as his men scurried up the stairs. They fired off a few more arrows into the Golem.

The men with Malakae tried to pull him out with them. "We need to get out of here Boss!!"

The Golem standing there confused as they all scrambled out, "No more play?" he whined mournfully. The last few arrows brought him down and he landed with a thud. Smoke filled the room as the fumes from the burning undead and the cauldron combined. Visibility was very poor.

Amarlei set her bomb on a fifteen second timer, she knew she had to get out fast. Hoping the rest had already left she ghosted back into the other room to make her way up the stairs.

The area was slowly clearing out. The gas still moved sluggishly across the ground, but the number of zombies running about had diminished considerably. Rhian moved positions and switched guns. She needed to graze the zombies with the bullets coated with Fizzle’s concoction, not shoot them clean through. It wouldn’t do to change someone back from being a zombie and leaving them with a large hole in their chest.

Rhian considered other options for delivery, such as using a fire trap to steam out the liquid, but it would only cover a small area and wasn’t guaranteed to work. She also didn’t know if the mixture would burn when the fire heated it, rendering it useless.

She poured out a small measure of the concoction for herself, in case something happened to her gas mask or if she came across someone who had not yet turned. The rest was used to coat quite a number of bullets. She set herself up against another chimney and took aim again, this time being quite careful to direct the bullet towards non-vital areas. If this worked, there would be a lot of visits to the healers.

Hopefully, not too many people would be upset at getting shot.

She noted a large group of zombies heading down one area, too many to shoot as they ambled past. Perhaps if she could cage them in somehow, it would give her more time. Her thoughts turned back to fire traps and she rummaged through her small pack and rigged a pair. She tossed them down to the ground several feet in front of the zombies and used her gun (and normal bullets) to activate them. Fire sprang up, billowing out of the containers.

Then the area exploded in a large whoosh of air as the plague gas caught on fire.

Rhian could feel the surrounding air around her being sucked in towards the explosion, prolonging the seething fire that hovered in the air. Thank goodness Stormwind was made out of stone… if it had been wood then she probably would have caught the buildings on fire.

She peered down once the fire cleared. The zombies had stopped in confusion, but the putrid gas was gone, burned away by the fire. It was a rather violent solution to the problem, but it was a solution. She had two more fire traps with her, not enough to entirely purge the area, but she knew where she could get more.

But first, the zombies.

She took aim, being careful as to where to place the bullet on the zombie and what was behind the zombie for the bullet to lodge into since the grazing shot wouldn’t stop the trajectory. Again, it wouldn’t do to accidently shoot through someone’s window or shoot someone she didn’t intend to.

“Here goes,” she muttered and carefully squeezed off the shot.

"Sir, sir! We've got to get out of here!"

Malakai was aware of voices, his eyes slowly opening to find the source. His vision was blurred, half of it still darkness from the heavy blow.

"That Dwarf said they set a bomb in there, we've got to go now!" They were all shouting and try ing to pull Mal up from the floor.

"A..bomb? What..we." He shook his head slowly trying to clear his muddled thoughts. A bomb was that last thing that he wanted but considering the current state of the Mage District, perhaps..it was the only choice. "Fine, get out, I'm right behind you." He waved them on, "That's a direct order! GO!"

"No sir, we're not leaving you." They circled around Malakai forming a wall of steel to protect their commander. Still, they had taken a beating just as he had and were carrying various injuries along too. "Miss! MISS!" They called out to the woman(Amarlei) who was dashing for the stairs, "Can you help us? We need to get him out of here!"

Malakai rose up between his men, grimacing. His head was pounding something fierce but he felt a pain in his chest too. The fall must've jarred his ribs quite a bit. He shrugged the pain off, leaving it to worry about later as he took a step forward, stumbling but somehow keeping his feet. He was aware of a warmth flowing down his face, blood spilling from the nasty wound on his head.

"Let's go," he muttered, starting to move forward. It was obvious they weren't going to make it in time.

One step at a time, step, step...step..darkness. He collapsed again.

The shadows were not enough to cover her as she entered the room, scuttling around the fallen Golem and coming up short. Gnomes! She froze as she noticed them trying to get a fallen human up off the floor. Praying to whatever gods that might be listening she nodded and pointed up the stairs. "Ten seconds...go NOW!" she shouted in a slightly hoarse voice. She hoped they did not question her as she turned to the human. The dwarves were helping as many of the injured as they could as they scuttled up the stairs ahead of them.

The gnomes were a nuisance as they crowded around Malakai, they were not coordinated enough to lift him and carry him, not to mention a lot of them were hurt too. As Malakai struggled to his feet she grumbled in Thallassian. She was strong enough to carry him...but the burden would make her vulnerable. "This is the last thing I need, human...but you are needed far more than I." As he stumbled she caught him and heaved him over her shoulder.

The seconds ticked away as the last dying screams of the Forsaken gurgled from the cauldron, he could not get out of the cauldron, having been stuffed in there with his bones separated and cracked. Amarlei struggled up the stairs, panting in effort as the gnomes nearly tripped her in their mad dash to get out of the basement. She knew it would be close as she finally made it out of the stairwell and made for the doorway.

A loud "WHOOOSH" and concussive blast came up from the stairwell behind them. The flash bomb was not made to destroy the building, only to disintegrate the plague and the warlock. But the blast did create enough of a sound wave and explosion to send Amarlei and Malakai out the door in a heap of tangled limbs. Amarlei had the wind knocked out of her and struggled to breathe through the gas mask. Slowly she rolled over and looked up into the face of a gnome who was sternly holding a loaded pistol to her head.

"I heard that voice and it sounds like Thallasian to me! Medic get to Malakai and see to his injuries!! The plague seems to have stopped, but we still have work to do...people to find and..." he stopped as Amarlei choked and coughed.

Her voice was rough with pain as she held out her hands without weapons. "Wait...I can explain...(cough)...and I have some...antidote...it might help..." her coughs racking her body as she could feel cracked ribs from where Malakai had landed on her. The only thing she could say to stop the gnome from shooting her for being a Horde. Likely he was suspicous, and with good reason. One slender hand reached into her belt pouch. Pulling out a vial with anti plague in it, she handed it to the gnome. "This is... highly concentrated... but good for... bringing people back... if they have been exposed...to this...plague..." her coughs making it hard for her to speak, not to mention intense pain as her ribs grated.

She sat meekly as he grabbed the vial and stuck it in a bag. "You are under arrest...we will get you medical attention...come quietly" his voice brooking no arguement as he attached metal cuffs to her wrists. Amarlei nodded and contemplated her next moves. She might appear to be helpless but she was only biding her time. Getting medical help would be nice...her ribs cracked and her head throbbing from where she had hit the ground under Malakai.

Rhian squeezed off her shot and waited. The bullet had hit her target as intended, but she wanted to make certain that it would work before she tried again. After several minutes, there was no sign of change and she wondered if the coated bullets were just not enough to combat the plague. Perhaps a more concentrated dose would work, but she only had a small amount to start with.

“Sorry folks,” she muttered taking aim again as the zombie pack ambled forward towards the archway that would take them out of the Mage District, “the road ends here.”

She was taking aim at the last zombie—the one she had hit earlier, but still was not showing any signs of recovery—when a loud explosion came from behind her. She regained her target and pulled the trigger before turning to see what had happened. The guards at the gates were stressed enough as it was, they didn’t need another zombie ambling through.

Moving along the rooftop, she came to a stop when she saw that the Slaughtered Lamb was burning. Once again, the stone buildings held—it was doubtful that the fire would spread past the Lamb. Most of the Mage District had been evacuated—or turned to zombies and put down. Movement near the building caught her attention. There were survivors wearing Watch uniforms, one was laying on the ground, another was standing over someone else. A few gnomes were watching the area.

‘Where was Malakai?’ she wondered. She pulled up her rifle and peered at the scene, trying to glean what she could through the smoke. Gnome, gnome… blood elf? She lowered the rifle for a moment, finally understanding a bit more of what was happening. Had a blood elf caused all this chaos? She raised the scope once more, looking for Malakai. Her heart when out when she sighted him in, laying motionless on the grass.

“Oh no…”

She sighted out the rest of the area, making certain that there were no threats other than the remains of the gas before she slipped off the roof and made her way towards the small group.

"Boss?! Boss?! Can you hear me?!"

Malakai's eyes slowly opened to the sound of a screaming voice further sending his pounding head into the depths of agony. He saw nothing but a bright light at first, causing him to immediately close his eyes once again, lifting his hands to shield them.

"He's alive! He's alive, get Fizzle over here! We got you, boss!"

He was aware of the sound of rushed footsteps and then someone kneeling down beside him. "Fizzle, tell..them to stop screaming." He muttered as he once again attempted to open his eyes. This time he wasn't greeted by a blinding light, simply a blurred Fizzle peering down at him with a concerned expression. "Is it done?"

The Gnome nodded, dropping his voice to a whisper as to not further pain the commander, "Yes, sir. I managed to develop an antidote which reversed the plague. Any of the people that have recently succumbed or exposed have been rounded up and are being vaccinated. As for the others...I'm afraid I can't help them. It only cures the plague not death.."

The Watch Commander nodded slowly, lifting himself up into a seated position. His gaze traveled over the area around him until he spotted someone being arrested. Narrowing his eyes, he could just make out that..it was..a Blood Elf?! He was quick to his feet, nearly falling back over from the sudden movement and the flare of pain. His jaw clenched and he paused, holding perfectly still for a moment while the world swam before his eyes.

"Stop..don't send her to the stockades..she comes back..with us."

Fizzle nodded, "Don't worry boss, I'll go get her. I believe Miss Bardsley is coming, you should probably see that you don't look like a complete mess..she might shoot you." He then took off towards the ones arresting Amarlei, giving the orders of the Watch Commander and taking her into custody himself.

Malakai looked around, searching for Rhian, a face that would surely make all of this pain go away. There! Whether it was a trick of his damaged head or just his imagination, there seemed to be a glowing light illuminating the tracker as she ran up.

"Rhian, hi.." Smooth. He did the only thing he could, smiled. "I believe the warlock is dead, there was a...flesh golem down there which gave us a spill." He turned to look towards Fizzle who was bringing Amarlei over, careful not to hurt the injured Blood Elf too much.

"We're ready to go, sir. I'll give her medical attention back at HQ. Best to get her out of sight...and fast."

Malakai nodded, "Right, let's get back to HQ..I need to clean up myself." He brushed a hand across his face, noting swelling and the warmth of blood present. A smirk touched his features as he looked to Rhian, "blood on me again.." He then reached for her with his other hand, moving to take hers as he started off after the rest of the Watch. Some would remain behind to make sure everything was taken care of and that the quarantine was maintained until the vaccine was given to everyone.

Back at the Watch House, the entire procession piled into Malakai's office, allowing him to sit down at his desk. An additional chair was pulled to the side for Rhian. Fizzle, Bizzle, and Cooper were present along with Amarlei who was treated before being brought in.

"So, I"m going to take a wild guess..you're the other assassin. I have a lot of questions to ask but I'm sure just like your Dwarf friend, you won't answer. So, I'll just ask a few and hope you have the desire to save yourself some trouble."

"If you knew this was going to happen, why not bring this to our attention? Why assassinate these people and stretch my forces thin..just for this to happen? A lot of people died today because the situation was mishandled. From the very start, this could've been avoided.." His silver eyes narrowed as he looked at the elf.

The manacles on her wrists here chafing and Amarlei gazed at Malakae for a moment, "I was only trying to help avert a disaster...they moved a lot faster than I thought they would. And as for why I did not approach you? Who among you would accept the word of a Sindorei that there is a Forsaken monster in your very city getting ready to kill you all? He was far too much for one person to get to...although I was surprised he had such lax security. I surmise there is more to it than what you have seen." she coughed a bit and winced, the ribs still ached, even after being healed.

"Besides I was not the only one who knew about it....perhaps you could ask...the SI:7? Or are they so foolish as to think he would be caught sooner and taken care of?" she stopped as the door outside the office opened and Barl came into the headquarters.

"I need ta see Malakai...tis very important...if he has a moment.." the dwarf smiled a toothy grin to the gnome at the desk. He laid his grizzled hands on the desk and whispered low. "He may be askin' the wrong questions...but I have a few meself"

The gnome was suspicious but led him to the office of Malakai and knocked on the door a couple of times. "A dwarf to see you sir...I think he is from SI:7...he says he is here to question the blood elf." he turned to give a narrow eyed glance to Barl, who merely grinned and nodded.

The door was opened before Malakai could even reply, and the dwarf walked in and glanced at Amarlei. His face neutral as he turned to Malakai. "I have a question...iffen ya don't mind?" his warm brown eyes twinkled.

Not waiting for Malakai to reply he turned to Amarlei, "Did ya track the ones who be supplyin' the warlock in his work?" his eyes narrowed as he looked at her.

Amarlei shrugged, "There were many who went in and few who came out...I suspect the use of portals in the basement...but he was busy here for several weeks before I was called in, so I have been told...the Cult is more widespread than a handful of zealots...I was only hired to slow down the supplier of gold..and that one was taken care of...I had no choice with the other...who was deeply connected to the cultists...cutting off the supply was the only way to slow them down."

Her eyes were cold and emotionless as she stared at the dwarf. Time ticked slowly by as she turned to Malakai, "She had you fooled...it is surprising that she was so good at it...only having been with them as far as I could see for only a few monthes. I suspect more are here than any of you know. Smoking them out will not be easy. I am sure none lived in the Mage District."

The dwarf nodded and turned to Malakai. "She be right, there are more...and unfortunately in high positions, which is why we could not move in...they are being protected. So what are you going to do with the gal who saved yer life at much risk to her own?"

Rhian breathed out a sigh of relief when Malakai struggled to his feet. She had felt a little sick and panicked when she saw him lying motionless on the ground.

“Malakai,” she whispered, looking over his face and person at the various cuts and what would soon become bruises. “You look terrible—but I’ll take terrible and alive.” She gave him a small smile, “So is being covered in blood a requisite for you? If so, I’ll buy you a bag to hold a change of clothing and a waterskin.”

She took his hand and returned to the Watch house. She didn’t envy the men who had been left behind to clean up and had left her two remaining fire traps with instructions on how to safely set them off.

“Just stay back,” she advised. “The first one turned into a pretty big ball of fire.”

Back at the Watch House, Rhian wished that she had Longshore with her. The wolf would be able to glean some information off the blood elf that might be helpful to finish putting all the puzzle pieces together. She sank into the chair offered and listened quietly to the blood elf.

The huntress could understand why the blood elf didn’t want to reveal herself as being in Stormwind, but what the huntress didn’t understand is why she didn’t try to leave an anonymous message with someone high up in the guard. Certainly, she had proven that she could get in and out of places without being detected.

When she told them to ask SI:7, Rhian felt a little sick again. Had SI:7 known about this? Her musings seemed to be confirmed when a dwarf, introduced as being from SI:7 came in and spoke to the blood elf with quite a bit of familiarity. People were dead because information was kept secret. Sure, you had to be careful as to who was told, but a lot of resources were wasted because no one communicated to the Watch what was going on and in the end, it had been the Watch who went in and risked their lives to stop what was happening.

Well, the Watch and the blood elf, Rhian amended. While she was grateful that the blood elf had helped get Malakai out of the Slaughtered Lamb, she still knew that the situation had been handled poorly and likely someone one was going to have to answer for how things went down. She just hoped that Malakai and his men wouldn’t end up taking the blame.

“Actually, smoking them out would not have been as hard as you think,” Rhian said in her quiet voice. “Well, it would not have been before the Mage District and the Lamb went up in flames. I have quite a few tricks up my sleeve for tracking people, but now,” she shrugged, “now it will be much harder. I am sure they have all gone to ground and it will be a while before they regroup and start something new.”

She stood up, the chair’s legs rasping against the floor as she did, and looked at the blood elf, “Thank you for helping us. Next time? Leave a note with someone you trust. I am certain that there are a few people here in Stormwind who will take your word for it,” her eyes drifted to the dwarf.

She leaned down and kissed Malakai’s cheek, “I’m happy that you are alright. I’m not leaving the building. Come see me when this is over—someone has to make certain you get checked out thoroughly.” She nodded to the blood elf, “I am certain this is above my pay grade, so I shall take my leave.”

***

Oan adjusted the rifle against his shoulder, his eyes on the small group of men who had charged in a few minutes earlier that evening in an attempt to rob the Hart and Stout. Next to him, Stoutmantle also had a rifle propped up against his shoulder, but unlike Oan whose expression was disgruntled, Stoutmantle’s face was somewhere between nonplussed and disbelief.

“Beardless ye said.”

Oan’s voice reached the other dwarf’s ears, but he was too surprised by what had just happened to pay much attention.

When the men had burst into the room, Longshore hadn’t moved much at all. The wolf simply opened one green eye and regarded them. Slowly, the wolf dragged himself to his feet and yawned while the men approached the bar, demanding money. Stoutmantle had been mulling over his various options for grabbing his gun and which man to shoot first when the wolf had exploded.

What had been a lazy pile of fur and legs turned into a vicious snarling mass of muscle and teeth and after leaping forward and dragging one man down by jerking violently on his arm so forcefully that it tore off the man's sleeve and left a ragged wound on his arm, the wolf proceeded to take out two additional men while giving the handful of dwarves in the tavern time to grab their weapons.

Now the would-be robbers were back into a corner, surrounded by dwarves armed with rifles but their attention was riveted on the snarling wolf whose teeth were bared and hackles raised. Every time one of the men tried to move, Longshore would snap at them.

“Beardless my rear!”

Oan looked over at Stoutmantle who seemed to be muttering, ‘I canna believe it,’ over and over again. Oan pressed on, “I want me five gold back,” he looked at the wolf then back at Stoutmantle, “AND all me ale tanight is on the house!”

The Watch Commander stared Amarlei down, silver eyes narrowing with every word she spoke. "There are thousands of ways to get a message into this city if you truly wanted to. The way you were sneaking about killing people leads me believe that you can move as freely as you want. You must have had some disguise, so why not just stop here, bring it to our attention? Sure, we might have been curious about a stranger coming in to tell us the city was infiltrated by a warlock, but you would've got your message across and you could have disappeared."

A knock on the door caused his attention to drift towards it, scowling. Everyone knew this was a sensitive meeting that did not need to be disturbed. When the Dwarf stepped in, he already knew what was coming. "Nice of SI:7 to join us, finally." He muttered as Barl entered and just started questioning Amarlei.

He leaned back in his chair, listening to the conversation between the two becoming angrier by the moment. Si:7 had known what was going on, it was clear that these two knew of each other. This seemed more like a debriefing of a mission than actual interrogation. When Rhian rose, he gave her a small smile as she kissed his cheek and departed. Great, now he was stuck in here with all of them

When Amarlei turned to speak to him again, he listened, nodding at points. "Well, now that you've given a fair warning, it might help to do something. Maybe SI:7 will even help us this time, it seems they excel at sneaking about and only popping up when it's useful." He rose up from his chair, shaking his head..

"What am I going to do with her? Nothing. Even if I did, I'm sure you would counter that by having her "disappear". So, I will do nothing. I'll let you play your silly little spy games and risk the lives of the people in this city some more. But next time.." His eyes narrowed, pointing a finger at the both of them. "you'd better hope that I don't see you two about."

"Fizzle, Cooper, let her go. Get them out of my sight!" He waved a hand, leaving the room before he let his anger get the best of him. He moved through the main office and down the corridor to his quarters. Finally in privacy for a moment, he sighed and kicked something just for the hell of it.

"Damn them." He seated himself in a chair at the desk in the corner, staring blankly at the papers on it. Politics, there was always something. Maybe it was time to quit this official life, maybe it was time to take these things on in another capacity. One that didn't have to jump through so many hoops and loops in the government. He grabbed a blank piece of paper and a quill, staring at it for a moment before he began writing.

Stormwind..Investigations.."If the government isn't going to smoke them out, I will.." He smiled grimly before starting to jot down the thoughts on this new direction his career was heading.